Join Better Portland members for a casual coffee meetup to connect with our community and support local businesses in the Portland area.

This month, we’re in Northeast Portland with City Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney. Representing District 2, she’ll be there to chat with you, answer questions, and share her priorities for the months ahead.

Soulful Sips
5261 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Portland, OR 97211

Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney ran for office because she wants Portland to be a city where families stay, grow, and build a future. She lives in Portland's Concordia neighborhood with her wife and their two kids, who she can't imagine raising anywhere else.

Elana has spent her career standing up for working families – as a union organizer, a policy expert, and a fierce advocate for fair wages and strong workforce programs. She helped shape initiatives that prepare Oregonians for good-paying jobs and served on Governor Kate Brown's executive team, where she worked to build forward-thinking policies that support both people and the planet. Elana helped negotiate increases in the minimum wage, Oregon's Paid Family Leave policy, and increased energy-efficient housing codes. From expanding high-wage jobs and training opportunities to advocating for parks and recreation access, her work has always centered equity and justice. In 2022, she led the grassroots effort to pass Measure 114, Oregon's gun violence prevention initiative.

Elana was elected as a District 2 City Councilor in November 2024, and that January, was chosen by her colleagues to serve as the City's first Council President under Portland's new form of government.

Meet and mingle with Better Portland members and the ECOVIBE team for shopping, sips, and new connections. Friends & colleagues welcome!

ECOVIBE is a family-owned and operated lifestyle brand based in Portland, Oregon offering a thoughtfully curated selection of urban decor, houseplants, and gifts.

Location:
1906 NE Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211

About Drinking Local
Join members for a unique happy hour experience! Each month, we gather at a locally-owned retail shop to build community and support small business.

Join Better Portland members for a casual coffee meetup to connect with our community and support local businesses in the Portland area.

This month, we’re taking it to District 1 to support a Women-owned coffee shop specializing in authentic Vietnamese coffee, tea, snacks, and desserts! City Councilmember Candace Avalos will join us to chat about what’s happening on the east side.

Phin Caphe
11906 SE Division Street
1:30pm - 3:00pm / Councilor Avalos joins us 2pm-3pm
*Note afternoon time this month!

Councilor Candace Avalos (or Candis Ávalos en español) is a first-generation “Blacktina” whose pronouns are she/her/ella. She is the daughter of Black Americans from southern Virginia and Guatemalan immigrants who made Washington, D.C. their home in the 1970s.

Her upbringing in a multiracial, multilingual household instilled a deep commitment to justice, equity, and people-centered leadership. These early experiences sparked her interest in government and politics, laying the foundation for a life of service and accountability. Candace has always believed in the power of community to drive change.

Join Better Portland members for a lunchtime panel with local leaders focused on a single issue.

The Big Picture: Portland’s Economy, Explained 

with ECOnorthwest

What has been moving the needle in Portland’s economy and what’s changed since last year?

ECOnorthwest joins us for a virtual presentation takes a data-driven (but not dry) look at growth, peer comparisons, and how regional and state trends connect to Portland’s path forward.

Come prepared to learn, get curious, and ask your burning questions about our local economy!

12:00 - Interview with Brittany Bagent, Project Director, ECOnorthwest
12:30 - Q&A

About ECOnorthwest
Policymakers and business leaders trust ECOnorthwest to inform the complex issues that shape communities today. Our research is crafted through an independent and interdisciplinary approach, integrating economics with other fields of insight. Delivered with clarity, our guidance creates the path to better human outcomes.

Join Better Portland for a casual morning coffee to connect with members, our community, and local business by supporting different businesses in the Portland area.

Ovation Coffee 3730 S Bond Ave

Bring a friend, no RSVP required!

Join Better Portland members for a lunchtime panel with local leaders focused on a single issue.

January: First Year Wins & Challenges: Portland Office of Small Business

It's been one year since the City of Portland launched its first Office of Small Business. What do they do? Who's behind the scenes? How can they help our members succeed in navigating small business challenges in Portland?

Panelists
Mitch Daugherty, Manager Portland Office of Small Business
Ciara Pressler, Better Portland & Pregame
Stephen Green, Better Portland & Vanport Studio

12:00 - Interview with Guests
12:30 - Q&A

Panelists

Mitch Daugherty currently serves as the manager for the City of Portland’s first-ever Office of Small Business at Prosper Portland, where he leads team building and citywide bureau coordination. This follows a decade as the co-founder and leader of Built Oregon, a nonprofit dedicated to scaling the state's consumer product ecosystem through accelerators, mentor networks, and over $300,000 in grants to Black-owned businesses. Earlier in his career, Mitch co-founded the digital strategy firm Morange Design, working with brands like Harbor Freight Tools and FOX, and got his start in entrepreneurship by co-founding Arizona Outback Adventures—a company that was eventually acquired by REI. He holds a degree in Wildlife Conservation Biology from Arizona State University.

Join Better Portland for a casual morning coffee to connect with members, our community, and local business by supporting both our favorite coffee shops and new undiscovered hangouts!

In December, we’re meeting up at La Perlita: a first-gen, POC-owned cafe in North Portland proudly serving Reforma Roasters coffee including cortaditos and the award-winning True Mexican Mocha.

La Perlita
5610 N Interstate Ave
Portland, OR 97217

Bring a friend, no RSVP required.

Join Better Portland members for a lunchtime panel with local leaders focused on a single issue.

November: Who’s Helping Businesses Scale?

Portland has a lot of resources for starting a business. But what about scaling a business from solo endeavor to economic impact? Join us to discuss what we need, what’s missing, and how Portland can get better when it comes to resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Panelists
Melanie Strong, Next Ventures
Rick Turoczy, PIE
Stephen Green, Better Portland & Pitch Black

12:00 - Interview with Guests
12:30 - Q&A
12:45 - Small Group Discussion Breakouts

Panelists

Mel Strong started her career as a first grade teacher and journalist. A chance meeting at the Boston Marathon led to an interview for an entry level job at Nike. She spent 17 years there, where she led businesses including Nike Women and Nike Skateboarding, and worked on the launch of the Nike Running and Training Club apps. In 2019 she left Nike to co-found venture capital firm NEXT VENTURES, focused on early stage investments across health and wellness in companies like Oura ring and Outside. She serves on the boards of Cofertility, Ramble Campgrounds, Sage Hospitality, University of Oregon’s Knight Campus, Outdoor Afro and USA Cycling.

Rick Turoczy has been working in, on, and around the Portland, Oregon, startup community for roughly 30 years. He is the cofounder and general manager of PIE (Portland Incubator Experiment), a 15 year experiment exploring how established entities — like corporations, educational institutions, and government — can collaborate with startup communities for mutual benefit. Partners in that experiment have included Autodesk, Coca-Cola, Daimler, Google, Intel, Nike, Prosper Portland, Puppet, the State of Oregon, Stoel Rives, Target, and Wieden+Kennedy, among others. Over the years, Rick has also helped start Built Oregon, Portland Startup Week, Oregon Story Board, Silicon Florist, and TechfestNW. For more on his perspective on building community, see his TEDxPortland talk.

Join Better Portland for a casual morning coffee to connect with members, our community, and local business by supporting different businesses in the Portland area.

Save the Date / Location TBA

Bring a friend, no RSVP required!

Join Better Portland for a casual morning coffee to connect with members, our community, and local business by supporting different businesses in the Portland area.

Based General Store
1136 SW Alder St, Portland, OR 97205

Bring a friend, no RSVP required!

Join the Office of Small Business for the launch of Show Up for Small Business, an ongoing collaboration with Better Portland, PIE, Latino Founders, and Built Oregon.

The idea is simple: We pick the spot. You support the businesses. 

Every month, we’ll choose a different neighborhood or business district. Then, it's up to you to show up and do your part by shopping, grabbing a beverage, or dining at the small businesses in that area. No agenda. No speeches. Just all of us celebrating the amazing small businesses that make Portland unique.

This month, we’re starting with Ankeny Alley on Tuesday, April 29, starting at 5 pm. We will all meet at Dan & Louis Oyster Bar (208 SW Ankeny St). From there, we invite folks to wander and grab food, drinks, or goods from all the great businesses in the area like Kaizen Sushi, Angelina's Greek Gyros, Xin Ding Dumpling House, District Bar, Luna Bar,  Baes Fried Chicken, Solstice Bar, and Voodoo Doughnut.